X-ray examining apparatus

ABSTRACT

An X-ray examining apparatus has a bed for the patient with a sheet which extends substantially over the entire length of the bed and which is moved by holding and driving means transversely to the bed so as to completely more sideways the body of the patient lying upon the bed. Means are provided to hold the patient from the sides. The invention is particularly characterized by rollers extending parallel to opposite sides of the bed and constituting a part of the holding and driving means. The sheet which is of limited length is unrolled from any one of the rollers and is simultaneously wound upon the other roller, possibly with the use of guide rollers. Means are provided for holding the sheet on the surface of the bed upon which the patient lies.

United States Patent [1 1 Berger et al.

[1 1 3,794,313 I [451 Feb. 26, 1974 X-RAY EXAMINING APPARATUS [73] Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft,

' Erlangen, Germany 22 Filed: Jan.18,l971 21 App]. No.: 107,169

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 30, 1970 Germany P 20 04 182.1 Nov. 7, 1970 Germany P 20 54 810.1

[52] US. Cl. 269/322, 5/81 B, 250/439 [51] Int. Cl A6lg 7/08 [58] Field 'of Search 269/308, 322, 328; 250/54-58; 5/61, 81 B 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,609,357 9/1971 Jones. 269/328 X 3,226,734 1/1966 Coventon.... 269/328 X 3,308,790 3/1967 Crowson.. 269/323 X 534,251 2/1895 Dupree 269/308 X 1,967,422 7/1934 Nadelson. 269/322 2,719,769 10/1955 Murphy 269/325 1,912,471 6/1933 Brewster 269/324 X 3,545,739 12/1970 DAvignon 269/328 3,191,882 6/1965 Riedel 242/56 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,141,817 2/1969 Great Britain 250/54 Primary ExaminerGranville Y. Custer, .lr. Assistant Examiner-Neil Abrams Attorney, Agent, or FirmRichards & Geier {57] ABSTRACT An X-ray examining apparatus has a bed for the patient with a sheet which extends substantially over the entire length of the bed and which is moved by holding and driving means transversely to the bed so as to completely more sideways the body of the patient lying upon the bed. Means are provided to hold'the patient from the sides. The invention is particularly 2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEBZBW 3194.3 1 3 SHEET 1 BF 2 INVENTORS: Becger .4 A. Hahn duv w- Aw-Tomwtg PATENTEDFEBZB I974 SHEET 2 [1F 2 X-RAY EXAMINING APPARATUS This invention relates to an X-ray examining apparatus having a bed for the patient provided with a sheet which extends substantially practically over the entire length of the bed and which is moved by holding and driving means transversely to the bed so as to complete move sideways the body of a patient lying upon the bed. Means are provided to hold the body of the patient from opposite sides.

An existing X-ray examining apparatus of this type has an endless sheet which is moved by two driven rollers around the patient-carrying surface of the bed. ln this construction the part of the-sheet running under the bed constitutes a disturbance in all examinations involving the use of an upper table X-ray tube, since it requires a greater distance between the object and the image surface and thus also a greater blurr of the image.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate these drawbacks.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

ln the accomplishment of the objectives of the present invention it was found desirable to improve the above-described X-ray examining apparatus by replacing the endless sheet with one'of limited length which is unrolled from any one of two rollers extending parallel to opposite sides of the bed and constituting parts of the sheet holding and driving means. The'sheet is simultaneously wound upon the otherroller, possibly with the use of guide rollers. Means are provided for holding the sheet upon the surface of the'bed upon which the patient lies.

Due to this construction the space directly under the patient-carrying plate is free'and is available for the placing of a Bucky cassette or. an image amplifying remote vision device. I v

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention the means which hold the patient from opposite sides may consist of driving rollers which extend on opposite sides of the bed parallel to its longitudinal edges and directly above the patient carrying surface. The speed of rotation of these rollers is practically equal to the speed of the sheet and their direction of rotation is opposite to the direction of movement of the sheet running upon the patient-supporting surface under the limiting rollers. This construction of the present invention makes it possible to move sidewise the body of the patient in precise locations.

According to a further advantageous construction of the presentinvention the sheet can be wound upon the two limiting rollers and guiderollers can be provided parallel to the two limiting rollers along with tensioning means known per se, for tensioning the sheet. This provides a flat guide for the sheet up to the limiting rollers.

Furthermore, the sheet will be held in a tensioned state despite the stretching unavoidable during use and the differently wound circumferences of the limiting rollers.

According to a particularly.advantageous embodiment of the present invention the limiting roller upon at least one side of the patients bed can be mounted upon swingable levers so as to be swingable'outwardly and below relatively to the patient carrying plate about at least one axis extending to the side of the plate and parallel to its longitudinal axis for the purpose of placing the patient upon the bed and removing him from the bed. This arrangement makes it possible to place bed-ridden patients easily upon the bed and to remove them easily. It is merely necessary to bring the patient on a wheeled stretcher and to move him sideways upon the downwardly shifted limiting roller. When the sheet is moved, the patient is moved automatically upon the bed.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings showing by way of ex ample only, preferred embodiments of the inventive idea.

In the drawings:

FlG. l is a perspective view of a patient-supporting sheet-carrying bed of the present invention mounted upon a swingable frame of an X-ray examining apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side view, partly in section, of a particularly advantageous sheet guide of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side view, partly in section,

of a particularly simple sheet guide of the present invention. i

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of means guiding the sheet. 7

FIG. 5 is a perspective view partly in section of means tensioning the sheet.

FIG. 1 shows a frame 3 of an X-ray examining apparatus which is not further illustrated. The frame 3 is.

swingable about a horizontal axis 2 and is mounted upon a base 1. U-shaped supports 4 and 5 are mounted upon the frame 3. A. plate 6 used'for supporting the body of a patient is mounted upon the supports 4 and 5 and is longitudinally movable thereon. A sheet 7 extends over the plate 6 and is wound on both sides upon limiting rollers 8 and 9 extending parallel to the longitudinal sides of the plate 6. In order to make it possible to raise the patient and turn him when being pressed against one of the limiting rollers, the sheet 7 is guided under the limiting roller, around aguide roller 10 or 11 extending parallel to the limiting roller and is then wound from bottom up upon the limiting roller and fixed to it. To facilitate the placing of the patient upon the bed and his removal from the bed the limiting and guide rollers are swingably connected with side rollers 12 resp. Thus the limiting rollers 8 and 9 and the guide rollers 10 and 11 are mounted so as to be swingable about the axes of the side rollers 12 and 13 and therefore they can be swung outwardly away from the patients bed 13 so as to be movably away from them. The side rollers 12 and 13 are located approximately in alinement with the longitudinal sides of the plate 6. At the foot end of the plate 6 there is a foot support 14. The foot support carries a rotary disc 15 driven in synchronism with the sheet 7. The spaces betwen the individual rollers 8 to 13 are provided with protectiveicaps l6 and 17 which prevent the fingers and hair of the patient from being clamped between the rollers.

FIG. 2 illustrates diagrammatically in detail guide for the sheet 7. The sheet 7 is pulled under the limiting roller 8, is guided around the guide roller 10, which is located behind the roller 8, looking from the side of the patient, and is then wound from the bottom up upon the roller 8. The guide roller 10 makes it possible to guide the sheet 7 flatly in tensioned condition over the plate 6 and yet to so select the direction of rotation of the limiting roller, that the side of the patient pressing against the limiting roller will be raised.

Rigid carriers 18 located at the head end and the foot end of the plate 6 carry side rollers 12 and 13 extending on opposite sides parallel to the longitudinal edges of the plate. FIG. 2 shows the side roller 12 provided with an axle 19 which is rotatably mounted in the carrier 18 and which is rigidly connected at its two ends with two swingable levers 20. The side roller 12 can rotate freely upon ball bearings upon its axle 19. The two levers 20 carry an axle 21 for the guide roller 10. The axle 21 is rigidly connected at its two ends with other swinging levers 22 for the limiting roller 8. The guide roller is also rotatably mounted upon ball bearings so that it can rotate freely upon its axle 21'. The limiting roller 8 is provided with an electromotor drive and is coupled by chain wheels (not shown) with the other limiting roller 9 and the rotary disc upon the foot end 14. To hold the chains in a tensioned condition during the swinging movements of the limiting rollers and the guide rollers, the chain is guided over chain wheels freely rotatable upon the axles of guide rollers and side rollers.

The frame of the apparatus carries stops 23, 24, '25 and 26 for the various swinging levers to limit the extent of the swinging movement of the limiting roller and the guide rollers. These stops are shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2; the outer swung positions of the guide roller and the limiting roller are shown by broken lines.

in this embodiment the side rollers are only necessary when the guide roller and the limiting roller are swung outwardly to guide the sheet around the corresponding longitudinal edge of the patient-carrying plate. The side roller can be eliminated upon the longitudinal side of the bed from which the patients will not be removed or placed and wherein consequently the limiting roller does not have to be swung outwardly.

A particularly simple guide of the sheet 7 is illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 3. in this construction the sheet is wound directly upon a side roller 12 which is here driven. A guide roller can be eliminated, The swinging levers'22 for the' limiting roller 8 are rigidly connected with the axle 19 of the side roller 12. The

two side rollers 12 and 13, the two limiting rollers 8 and 9 and the rotary disc 15 must be driven jointly. As shown in FIG. 5 it is necessary to provide a coiled spring 50 of adequate size and subjected to tension, which is located in one of the side rollers 12 and is used to balance the differently wound circumferences of the side rollers 12 and 13 and to provide the sheet 7 with adequate tension.

However, it is also possible to produce the necessary tension of the sheet by changing by spring action the relative distances of the rollers fromeach other.

In the diagram of FIG. 4 the sheet 6 is not shown to provide clearer illustration. A driving device 29 consists of a driving motor 27 and a coupled reduction gear 28. Two cam discs 30 and 31 are coupled with the driving device. The motor is connected with the current supply through a change-over switch 34 for changing the direction of rotation, which is provided with two four-pole change-over switches 32 and 33. The two change-over switches 32 and 33 are operated through relays 35 and 36 by a tumbler switch 37 for rotation to the right or to the left. The cam disc 30 is provided with a cam 38 and a recess 39 and is engaged by three cam switches 40, 41 and 42. During actuation the two outer cam switches 40 and 41 interrupt by means of the cam 38 the supply of current to the corresponding relays 35 and 36 for rotation to the right or to the left. The central cam switch 42 when actuated by the recess-39 interrupts the flow of electrical current to a relay 44 provided with a self-holding contact 43 for moving the sheet back to the initial examining position. The circuit of the relay 44 includes a key 45 which is parallel to the contact 43 and which releases the sheet from its rearward position. The cam disc 31 has a cam surface 46 covering one-half of the disc and is engaged by a cam operated change-over switch 47. The switch 47 connectsat will the circuit of the relay 44 with the relay 35 for the right hand movement of the sheet or with the relay 36 for the left hand movement of the sheet. interrupting contacts 48 and 49 are coupled with the two contacts of the tumbler switch 37. These two contacts are connected in series with each other and with the circuit of the relay 44.

The examining doctor can impart to the sheet at will a movement to the right or to the left by operating the tumbler switch 37 actuating the relay 35 or the relay 36. As soon as the sheet has reached an end position on one side or the other side, the supply of current to the relay 35 or the relay 36 is interrupted depending on the direction of movement by means of the cam 38'of the cam disc 30 and the corresponding cam switches 40 and 41. Then the sheet can be wound only in the opposite direction.

To return the sheet back to its initial position for examination it is merely necessary to quickly operate the key 45. This will switch on the relay 44 for the automatic return movement of the sheet. The relay 44 will remain under voltage through the self-holding contact 43. Then voltage is also supplied to the cam-operated change-over switch 47 so that depending on the position of the sheet and thus of the cam disc 31, that relay is switched on which provides the winding direction resuiting in the desired end position for examination.

, When this position is reached the flow of current to the relay 44 is interrupted by the cam switch 42. Then the self-holding contact 43 drops off and the relays for the right-hand movement and the left-hand movement of the sheet will be without current. The sheet will remain in the end position for examination. However, if necessary, a counter movement can be imparted to the sheet during its automatic movement ino an end position by means of the tumbler switch 37. Then the relay 44 falls off through the interrupting contacts 48 and 49 of the tumbler switch, so that the tumbler switch is then used to recall the release of the automatic return movement of the sheet.

The central position of the sheet wherein there are equal reserves of windings on both sides is particularly advantageous for the initial examining position. However; in the cae of X-ray examining devices mostly concerned with bed-ridden patients which must be re-' it has received the patient and after the patient has been pulled upon the supporting plate. In that case the initial examining position of the sheet must be shifted relatively to its middle position in the direction toward the side receiving the patient to the extent of the movement which the sheet will carry out during the placing of the patient.

It is also possible to provide a second initial examining position over cam switches shifted relatively to the cam switches 42 and 47. Then the doctor can choose by means of a change-over switch between the two examining positions. Then it is also possible to move the sheet into an examining position shifted relativelyto the central position toward the incoming position by downwardly shifting the limiting roller 8 and producing a switch over or automatic release. Independently therefrom, the return movement of the sheet into its middle position can be released by the key 45.

We claim:

1. An X-ray examining apparatus comprising a patient-carrying plate, a sheet extending the entire length of said plate and movable transversely to said plate, rollers located along the two longitudinal sides of said plate and extending parallel to said plate, means driving said rollers from the side of the patient in the direction of movement of said sheet, means guiding said sheet in the plane of said plate, limiting rollers extending along and parallel to longitudinal sides of said plate above said plate for holding a patient from opposite sides upon said plate, means rotating said limiting rollers with a speed practically equal to the speed of movement of said sheet but in a direction opposed to the direction of movement of said sheet, said sheet being wound upon said limiting rollers, other rollers constituting guide rollers for said sheet and extending parallel to said limiting rollers, means tensioning said sheet, means sensing the direction of rotating and the examining position of the first-mentioned rollers, switching means connected with the first-mentioned means and said switching means for switching on the firstmentioned means and for automatically switching them off when a desired examining position when the patient is to be taken up, is reached, swinging levers located at least upon one side of. said plate and connected with at least one of the first-mentioned rollers for swinging it outwardly and below said plate, at least one side roller extending along and parallel to a longitudinal side of said plate and having an upper circumferential portion extending substantially in alignment with said plate, an axle carrying said side roller, an axle carrying one of said guide rollers, an axle carrying one of said limiting rollers, two swinging levers rigidly connected with the first-mentioned axle and connected with the secondmentioned axle for moving said one guide roller, two other swinging rollers rigidly connected with the second-mentioned axle and connected with the thirdmentioned axle for moving said one limiting roller, and stops adapted to be engaged by said swinging levers for limiting the movements of said swinging levers, said stops being adapted to hold said one limiting roller in an outwardly swung position directly close to said side roller and to hold said one limiting roller in an inwardly swung position directly above said plate.

2. An X-ray examining apparatus, comprising a patient carrying plate, limiting rollers, a sheet extending the entire length of said plate and movable transversely to said plate, said sheet being wound up on said limiting rollers which hold the two ends of said sheet, said lim it ing rollers being located along the two longitudinal sides of said plate and extending parallel to said plate, means jointly driving said limiting rollers at the side of the patient in the direction of movement of said sheet and at a speed substantially equal to the speed of movement of said sheet, said limiting rollers holding a patient from opposite sides upon said plate, guide rollers also located along the two longitudinal sides of said plate and extending parallel to said limiting rollers for guiding said sheet in the plane of said plate, means tensioning said sheet, at least one side roller extending along and parallel to a longitudinal side of said plate and having an upper circumferential portion extending substantially in alignment with said plate, an axle carrying said side roller, an axle carrying one of said guide rollers, an axle carrying one of said limiting rollers, two swinging levers rigidly connected with the firstmentioned axle and connected with the secondmentioned axle for moving said one guide roller, two other swinging levers rigidly connected with the second-mentioned axle and connected with the thirdmentioned axle for moving said one limiting roller, and stops adapted to be engaged by said swinging levers for limiting the movements of said swinging levers, said stops being adapted to hold said one limiting roller in an outwardly swung position directly close to said side roller and to hold said one limiting roller in an inwardly swung position directly above said plate. 

1. An X-ray examining apparatus comprising a patient-carrying plate, a sheet extending the entire length of said plate and movable transversely to said plate, rollers located along the two longitudinal sides of said plate and extending parallel to said plate, means driving said rollers from the side of the patient in the direction of movement of said sheet, means guiding said sheet in the plane of said plate, limiting rollers extending along and parallel to longitudinal sides of said plate above said plate for holding a patient from opposite sides upon said plate, means rotating said limiting rollers with a speed practically equal to the speed of movement of said sheet but in a direction opposed to the direction of movement of said sheet, said sheet being wound upon said limiting rollers, other rollers constituting guide rollers for said sheet and extending parallel to said limiting rollers, means tensioning said sheet, means sensing the direction of rotating and the examining position of the first-mentioned rollers, switching means connected with the first-mentioned means and said switching means for switching on the first-mentioned means and for automatically switching them off when a desired examining position when the patient is to be taken up, is reached, swinging levers located at least upon one side of said plate and connected with at least one of the first-mentioned rollers for swinging it outwardly and below said plate, at least one side roller extending along and parallel to a longitudinal side of said plate and having an upper circumferential portion extending substantially in alignment with said plate, an axle carrying said side roller, an axle carrying one of said guide rollers, an axle carrying one of said limiting rollers, two swinging levers rigidly connected with the first-mentioned axle and connected with the second-mentioned axle for moving said one guide roller, two other swinging rollers rigidly connected with the second-mentioned axle and connected with the third-mentioned axle for moving said one limiting roller, and stops adapted to be engaged by said swinging levers for limiting the movements of said swinging levers, said stops being adapted to hold said one limiting roller in an outwardly swung position directly close to said side roller and to hold said one limiting roller in an inwardly swung position directly above said plate.
 2. An X-ray examining apparatus, comprising a patient carrying plate, limiting rollers, a sheet extending the entire length of said plate and movable transversely to said plate, said sheet being wound up on said limiting rollers which hold the two ends of said sheet, said limiting rollers being located along the two longitudinal sides of said plate and extending parallel to said plate, means jointly driving said limiting rollers at the side of the patient in the direction of movement of said sheet and at a speed substantially equal to the speed of movement of said sheet, said limiting rollers holding a patient from opposite sides upon said plate, guide rollers also located along the two longitudinal sides of said plate and extending parallel to said limiting rollers for guiding said sheet in the plane of said plate, means tensioning said sheet, at least one side roller extending along and parallel to a longitudinal side of said plate and having an upper circumferential portion extending substantially in alignment with said plate, an axle carrying said side roller, an axle carrying one of said guide rollers, an axle carrying one of said limiting rollers, two swinging levers rigidly connected with the first-mentioned axle and connected with the second-mentioned axle for moving said one guide roller, two other swinging levers rigidly connected with the second-mentioned axle and connected with the third-mentioned axle for moving said one limiting roller, and stops adapted to be engaged by said swinging levers for limiting the movements of said swinging levers, said stops being adapted to hold said one Limiting roller in an outwardly swung position directly close to said side roller and to hold said one limiting roller in an inwardly swung position directly above said plate. 